touchscreen for ableton!!?

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:32 pm

http://www.touchwindow.com/miva/merchan ... hLaptopLCD

thats a link to the 17" version which would attach nicely to a 17" powerbook G4 I'm thinking..... you can touch it with your finger... it works with any program...
$200.00 for the black mac version.

someone give me a reason not to buy this thing.

computo · Post by **computo** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:36 pm

let me know how tired your arm gets....

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:46 pm

you think?
I can't imagine it being much different than using one of those touch screen cash registers my parents have at their gas station.

I just think being able to trigger clips and scenes with your finger on the screen would kick ass. I'm amazed you don't need a stylus for it.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:51 pm

It has one HUGE drawback over the Lemur. It only recognizes one finger at a time. IMO, that makes it virtually useless.

BTW, I have a touchscreen. The novelty didn't last long. Using a trackball and MIDI controllers is infinitely easier and less tiring. And once everything is configured, you don't even need to see the screen (musicians, that is... not DJs).

D DAS · Post by **D DAS** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:54 pm

at $200 it is probably shit quality, I mean 200 bucks it can not work that well.

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:00 pm

I knew it would get compared to the lemur. but I would have to sell my truck to buy a lemur. this I could afford right now. and I don't want to have to create an interface on the lemur that simulates all the stuff that might be in ableton at the time, I want it to be very direct and tactile.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:02 pm

IMO, you get far more bang for buck with MIDI controllers. Tactile, and able to do many things at once.

The Lemur is sweet, though... need a few more bookings first!

Johnisfaster · Post by **Johnisfaster** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:13 pm

I have a bcr2000 which I do use but I often find myself wondering what different knobs are assigned to. I could assign clips and scenes to keys on my keyboard but then the same problem I forget what clip/scene is assigned to what key. especially if it's an old set. without equipment that actually displays feedback of what it's linked to it's difficult to know whats going on. I know there are controllers that do display but this seems like the absolutely end all be all of intuitive control over a computer program. especially when you're still armed with a few midi controllers.

http://www.magictouch.com/whatuserssay.html
scroll down on there and there is a list of user reviews. (alot of handycap people use it of course who may have different expectations of how responsive it should be than a person like I)

I just want to look at the screen and tap my finger around bang bang bang bang bang fire clips and scenes. I don't know yet if it'll responde quickly enough or if it's sensative enough to the touch.

nickw · Post by **nickw** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:20 pm

You might find that the size of your finger is bigger than the size of the clips on screen so it will be difficult to be sure which clip you will trigger as you touch the screen.

Cheers

Nick

nickw · Post by **nickw** » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:32 pm

Oh and also with externally fitted touch screens if there is any gap betweent the screen and the touch screen device you get problems if you are not looking straight on at it (I think its called parallax - like trying to point at something in a shop window and they arent sure what you pointed at) as you select stuff - not a problem if the things you are pointing at are quite large but the clips on live are pretty small.

Touch screens work really well with software written for them which has nice big buttons to press and only a few of them - look at it next time you use one at a tourist spot.

We have an external touch screenat work you can fit to laptops and I have never been tempted to even spend time hooking it up to my laptop, calibrating it and seeing if it will work with live - I would need to use a pencil sharpener on my finger first!

HTH

Nick